The Messenger, Vol. 19, No. 7

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Published Monthly by the MuSigmaRhoandPhilol,1giu Sociiities. .....L-4-

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PIJ,CH E R;, -

~USI!'Ol,SS

MANAGF.R.

APRIL, L

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I CHAS.

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CLEMENT,

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ASS~USINF.SS

MAN'G'R

1893.

"t-.

CONTENTS. 1'ERAR Y DF.PART.MHN'i':

' 'J'o my :Mother ........ , ......... .. .......................

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:\Jen of 'thought .............................................................................

Cowper.....................

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Reform in Female H<lucation.. ...... ......... ......... ........ ......... ......... .........

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1:emale Lawyer~............... ..... ... ..... ...... .. ...... .......... ....... ......... .........

Victor Hugo's Hernani. ...... ................................ .

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The Plea sure s of Hope .......... . ............. ,.... .........

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ITORIAJ,8

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CAI,S......... . ......... ....................

UMNC,NOTES ............................

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18

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l<JCH~10NlJ COLLEE. VA.

RICHMOND.

SessionfromSeptember1892.to June)18~3.

FACULTY. EDMUND HARRISON, A. M., Professor of Latin.

1-I. II. HARRIS, M.A., LL. D., Professor of Greek.

F. W. BOATWRIGHT, M. A., Professor of Modern Languages JOHN POLLARD ·, A. M., D. D., Professor of English.

R. E. GAJNES, A. M., Professor of Mathematics.

C. H. WINSTON, M.A., LL. D., Professor of Physics.

B. PURYEAR, A. M., LL. D., Professor of Chemistry.

WM. D. THOMAS, M.A., D. D., Professor of Philosophy.

ROGER GREGORY, B. L., Professor of Law.

The system of Independent Schools allows selection of the studi ei most important in any case and proper classification according to advanc e• ment in any branch.

Instruction in all the classes by the several Professors secures thor oughness; rigid examinations guarantee the worth of all honors awarde d. _A large Library and Museum, together with the many advantag ei of a thriving State capital and manufacturing centre, ofier the best aidi and incentives to earnest work.

The location, in the western suburbs of Richmond, is at once accessible and 4uiet, beautifnl and healthy, and to a large extent combines i country atmosphere with city conveniences.

The cost to students is kept down to the lowest point by a judicious use of income from invested funds. It is for many reasons best to enter at the beg inning of a session, but young men prepared to join the classes already forme d will be received at any time.

For Catalogue, with full information, address

B. PURYEAR, Clwirman of tit.· .Faculty. f.ea, Cullrn & Co., Print.

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Richmond College l\1:essenget VoL. XIX.

APRIL,

1893.

No. 7.

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF. Virginia, Philologian Society.

ASSOCIATE EDITORS. Mu Sigma Rho Society.

Philologian Soc£ety.

H. W.

PROVENCE,

D. H . . SCOT'f, . Virginia,

W. D. DUKE, Virginia, W. F. LON,G, Pennsylvania, M . _FOLKES,

E. M. CHARL

R. H. WHITE,

Virginia.

Virginia,

R. W . GRIZZARD, Va.

BUSINESS MANAGERS. Virginie£, Mu Sigma Rizo Society.

CLE1';ENT, Ass't, Virginia, Philologian Society.

PILCHER, ES

TO MY MOTHER. Give m e my old seat, moth er, With m y head upon thy knee; I' ve passed through many a changin g scen e Since thus I sa't by the e .

Oh! let me look into thin e eyes; Th eir meek, soft, lovin g light Ji'a lls like a gleam of holiness Upon my h eart to-night I 've not been long away, moth er , Fe w sun s h ave ris en and set, Since last the t eardrop on thy cheek My lip s in kisses met.

'Tis but a little time I know, But ver y lon g it seems; Th ough every ni g ht I come to th ee, Dea r moth er, in my dreams .

The world has dealt kindly , mother, By the child thou lov'st so well; Thy pray ers hav e circled round his paths, And 'twa s th eir holy spell Which m ade that path so de11rly bri ght, Which strewed the roses th ere, Which gave th e light and cast th e balm On every breath of air.

I bea r a happy he art, mother, A happi er never beat, \ And, even now, new bud s of hop e Are bu rstin g at my feet .

Oh, moth er, life m ay be a dr eam,

r

But if such dreams are given While at the portals thus we stand, What are the truths of Heaven?

I bear a happy he art, mother, Yet, wh en. fond eyes I see And hear soft tones and winning words I ever think of thee, And th en the tears my spirit weeps Unbidden fill my eye, ,•••• ~ And, lik e a hom eless dove, I long Unto thy breast to fly.

Then I am very saJ., mother, I'm very sad and lone; Oh! there's no heart whose inmost fold Opes t<;>me like thine own; . , Though sunny smiles wreath bloomin _g lips While love tones meet my ear, My mother, one fond glance of thin e Were thousand times more dear .\ Then with a closer clasp, moth er, ' Now hold me to thy heart: I'll feel it beating 'gainst my own Onc e mor e before we part . \ And , mother, to this love-lit spot , When I am far away, , Come oft-too oft thou canst not come - ' And for thy darling pray .

-Ex.

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• 2

RICHMOND

COLLEGE

MESSENGER.

MEN_.OF THOIJGHT . .:_-o-The period in _which we live is discover the true and discard the one of pre-emh1ent activity.

The false, is a power possessed by very great demand of the age is for men few. of action. In this time of marvelous Thinking, moreover, is exceedprogress, when inventions and dis- ingly difficult and sometimes yields . coveries have 'brought men in closer but meagre results.

Therefore we contact with one another, when the often find that many who possess rush for honor · and wealth has be- the ability are not willing to undergo come so great, when the tide of the difficulties of original thinking. prosperity runs so high and money Men love ease, and not a few yield rules the nation, there seems to be themselves willing victims to its a growing tendency to under-estiseducing charms.

It is so much mate the value of men of thought. easier to reap the grain of other By men of thought we mean those men's sewing than it is to plant and individuals who possess the capaccultivate, that some will even tak e ity. together with the disposit10n, to that which is not their own. It is so apply their minds to a particular much less difficult .to utilize th e theme, to fix them steadily and per- thoughts of other men for the ac , sistently upon it, to think it through complishment of our purposes than and through, to think consecutively, it is to think for ourselves that som e to make some addition by their prefer to follow in the wake of otl-ier thoughts to the word's great store of minds rather than to launch their knowledge. barks upon the great ocean of inde But not ever y Ii is · an ,accepted truth that the pendent thought. majority of people do not think, at mariner upon the sea of knowledg e is willing thus to drift with the tid e least in this high and important \ \ sense.

Notwithstanding the fact of human thought, for there have always been some who dared to that the great purpose of education There ba s is to develop the mind in the power think for themselves. of ;1:iginating and formulating ideas, never existed an age in the history of the world in which there were there are but few of those individu, als wh 1om the world regards as edu- not a few men of inventive genius, cated '.men that really possess the a few men of original thought, who power of effective, original thinkgave to the world some new ideas, ing. To fix the attention upon a who formed some original concep, subj'ect and hr Id it ther e ; to exam- tions.

Not every generation has in e it from every point of view; to reared a Socrates, a Plato, or an ·compare and abstract; to formulate Ari dtotle; not every age has pro, / ,,, premises and draw conclus10n s ; to duc ed a Franklin, a Newton, or an

MEN

OF THOUGHT.

E dison, but no century has failed to make some discovery, to effect some invention, to accomplish some advance beyond that of its predeces, sor.

From before the golden age of Greece to the closing decade of the nineteenth century the world has ever reared ¡and fostered a few men of genius.

Whatever have been the exigencies of the time, some minds have ever thirsted for conquests in the realms of thought.

When the su.n of peace shed forth his geni.11 rays and the world was enfolded in the tender embrace of prosperity and happiness, then men drank deep at the " Pierian spring" antt laved their brows in pure fountains of knowledge.

And wht>n the clouds of war were lowering and revolution engaged the public mind, the thoughtful student trimmed his midnight lamp while he was pondering deeply some problem of political economy or was formulating some new code of equitable government. How, then, can we estimate the power of the intellect of man ?

Does the human mind comprehend fully its own inestimable worth?

Who can co~pute the power of thought?

It is the lever by which human civilization is uplifted!

It is the mainspring of human prosperity.

Action is the driving-wheel of human progress, but thought is the steam that propels the machinery.

It is thought that lays the foundation of civil government and sets the corner-stone of religious liberty. It

3

is thought that transforms the wild, uncongenial wilderness into a productive field or a prosperous city.

It is thought that chains rebellious nature and compels her to become the submissive servant of man.

Thought diminishes space and economizes time. Thought elevates man above the brute and makes him a creature of progress.

Thought is the power that moves the world and raises every succeeding generation above its predecessor.

Surely, then the world is indebted much to her men of thought.

The student who toils long and hard, day and night, all alone, and, perhaps, forgotten by the busy world, may be the greatest benefactor of his age.

Robert Fulton, in the discovery of the power of steam, and in applying it to use in propelling machinery, did more for human progress than did Cresar, Alexander the Great and Napoleo _n combined.

Newton, Franklin, Galileo and Galvani have been of more value to the world than warriors, . heroes, patriots and generals, although people are ever ready to magnify the achievements of the latter, wl11le the former have by many been unapp1eciated, and to some are even unknown.

This active. busy, hastening world is too forgetful of those who pause to think and make reflection their road to surf! success.

How often does it occur that these who seize upon the valuable thoughts and discoveries of other men and parade them before the word reap the ben,

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RICHMOND

COLLEGE

efits and receive the applause, while the real student and worthy genius remains unknown and unrewarded!

Is it not well, then, that we pause, if for but a monent, to reflect upon the merits of the world's greatest benefactors, and to lay one laurel of praise upon their neglected graves?

While we are honoring the memory . and emulating the lives of orators and statesmen, of heroes and war-.. riors, let us not forget that to the me~ of thought we owe the loudest expressions of praise and the greatest debt of gratitude!

Many are the difficulties they have to encounter, numerous the barriers they are compelled to remove, varied the hardships they are required to en-.. dure if they would prove themselves of actual worth to the world, if they would make foi- themselves a name that will be honored by succeeding generations, if they would wr eathe their brows with immortelles of glory.

Students do not often receive a just recompense of .reward.

From a pecuniary point of view they sel-.. dom, or never, enjoy a just com, pensation for their labors.

There has been a tirrie, and, alas; not too far removed from the present, when scholar and -beggar were synonr mous terms.

Too often are men of genius unappreciated and unrewarded by their contemporaries; too often is their true merit left to be discoyered and acknowledged by subsequent generations, whose judgment is not beclouded by envy

~ESSENGER.

and whose vision is not bedim med ¡by prejudice.

But we are not oblivious of the fact that these ha"rdships not unfrequently prove to be of the greatest advatage to .the student himself.

Hardships and disadvantages seldom becom e insurmountable barriers to the achi evement of the greatest success.

To the man who possesses the cha racteristics of true intellectual great ness these are but stepping-stone s to glory and to fame. Contrary to the law of cause and effect as man ifested in the physical world, disad van- ¡ tages are to the real genius some, times his greatest advantage.

As a rule those who become great est struggle against the greatest difficulties. Many who have accomplish ed most have had the fewest opp ortunities. Those who rise hight::st rise against the strongest wind. T he most learned often had the poore st educational advantages.

It is evident that if they had not contend ed with their peculiar difficulties th ey. would never have acquired the strength and power to achieve so much in their respective spher es.

It is the sturdy oak from the Thu ringian wood which has been toughl y knit in fibrous vigor by the moun tain whirlwinds that makes the ves, sel into which it is fitted the prou d heroine of the roughest gale. It is the mind that grapples with difficult problems and solves perplexing questions that can best surmount the greatest obstacles.

All one's faculties and power s

MEN OF THOUGHT. are, to a greater or less degree, developed by the exercise that is inv:olved in overcommg difficulties in their respectiv~ spheres.

The b-ody is developed, not by having every luxury and comfort provided, but by being so far deprived of these as to necessitate energetic action.

The disposition is trained, not by being humored and obeyed, but by being opposed and restrained. The mind is developed, not by having its thinking done by somebody else, but by grappling with difficult problems and solving them for itself.

So we conclude that although the student has his hardships and his disadvantages, these are necessary to the highest development of his faculties, and . are the surest proof of his actual merit. â&#x20AC;˘ It does not follow~ however, that men of genius are not sometimes the victims of unfavorable environ, ments, and that talent is not oftimes crushed by an overpowering force of circumstances: Many a time has genius been nipped in the budding, and comparative obscurity has been the lot of "full many a gem, of purest ray serene."

Much truth is there in Johnson's line, which came s~ touchingly near home to himself: "Slow rises worth, by poverty depressed."

B{it it is equally true that the achievements of men of the most wonderful talents have been greatly augmented by the favorable character of their surrroundings.

It would seem that mere accident, so

5

to speak, has occasioned many a man of power to make manifest his hitherto latent genius. A schoolboy's fight set Newton on his brilliant course and caused a reflect ion to his then sluggish mind which found no rest till he attained a name more illustrious than all his contem poraries. It was the timely indisposition of his wife that led Dr _ Galvani to the discovery of that powerful agent in nature ca lled electricity.

Bvron tells us that he " awoke one morning and found himself famous."

Others hav e be-. come celebrated so suddenly that. even their friend s have been constrained to cry: "On what meat has this Cresar fed that he is grown so great!" But few are now so fortunate as to see the bli ssful morning that Byron saw, or to find the meat on which Cresar fed. Ile who would become famous and win for himself immortal honor should not trust to Byron's experience.

He awoke and found himself famous, but you and I in waiting thus to be awakened may sleep on forever, with only dreams of fame, while others, awaking early to the strife for honorable success, "act well their parts," and in the evening of life, when the sun goes down, fame settles on their heads and we are forgotten.

But honor and fame should not be the only motives that impel men of genius to the exercise of their superior faculties. They have debts. great and binding, which they owe

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RICHMOND

COLLEGE

to soc iety and to the world. Be.., nevolence, rather than ambition, . :should be the object of their pur:suit. No man has a right to live and die a hermit. He, who in his thirst for draughts from the fountain of knowledge, forsakes association, with all its pleasures, and buries him self in a closet of seclusion, thereby debases the nobility of manhood, is unfaithful to himself and dishonest to society . If every man has a debt which he owes his fellowman, it seems evident that those who by-familiarity with great minds have become "contemporaries of all men, c itizens of all places:" owe a very great debt to society, and it is only as men come in contact with the world that good is received and good bestowed.

• 'But we do not live in an age and among a people characterized by thought and reflection . Our eoun;try seems not yet to be productive of many men of master minds.

America, the paradise of beauty and -0f lu xury, the lan9 of the free and · the home of the brave; th e mother '.of liberty, the queen of fortune, is

MESSENGER.

too deficient in her men of thought.

Men in their haste for honor and greed for gold, have exercised all their faculties in the acquisition of these coveted treasures and have neglected the more important dutythe development of their minds.

The sys tem of education th at is in vogue in many of our in stitution s is corrupting and dangerous in its tendencies.

Man can never be train ed for origina l work by having his br ain crowded to stagnatio n with other men's thoughts.

Let there be an awakening of interest in the development of mind among the youth of America I Let there be inau gurated a more perfect system of instruction in our colleges and univers ities I Then, and not till then , will America arise to her coveted position in the sisterhood of nation s!

Then, and not till then, will her civilization be built upon a sure and lasting foundation?

Then, and not till then, will dawn that glorious day when wisdom shall adorn the patriot's brow, and knowledge bed eck his crown.

RETLA

W.

COWPER.

'

William Cowpet was born on the 26th of November, 1731, in the rect ory house · at Great Berkhamstead, Hertfordshire. His father, John, rector of that place and one of the chaplains to George II., was the son of Spenser Cowper, chief justice of Chester, and judge in the Court of

Common Pleas, and nephew to E arl Cowper, Lord Chancellor qf England.

His mother, Anne, daughte r of Roger Donne, Esquire, of Ludlam Hall in Norfolk, was sprung from an equally respectable family.

On her death in November, 1737, Cowper at the tender age of six was

COWPER. placed at the boarding school of Dr. Pitman, of Market Street, Bedfordshire, where he remained two years, till a complaint in his eyes threatening him with blindness, made it necessary that he should be removed to the house of an oculist of great reputation, in London.

At ten years of age he was sent to school at Westminster, where he remained seven years, leaving a character for scholarship, especially in Latin and Greek. On leaving school he chose law as his profession and was articled for three years to a solicitor of some eminence.

He disliked his new position, and how he devoted himself to it can be seen from the fact that he describes himself in one of his letters as, "Giggling and making giggles, instead of studying law".

After completing his three years with Mr. Chapman, the solicitor, he took chambers in the Temple but made little progress in his studies, preferring to yield himself to the charms of litera-. ture and social intercourse, At his father's death, in 1756, Cowper received a small patrimony, but it was insufficient to cover his expenses and \ he was compelled to look about for some means of support.

Some influential friends at this crisis obtained for him the lucrative position of reading clerk and clerk of private committees to the house of Lords, but his timidity and nervousness caused him to throw up the appointment. He was next appointed Clerk of the Journals, but when a

7

dispute about his appointment rendered it necessary for him to appear before the -lords in order to prove his ability, such dread and fear seized him that he attempted self¡.cle true, tion. When at school he had been terribly and persistently bullied by his rougher school-mates, and a little while before he had been disappointed in love, which had somewhat affected his mind. All these things combined to drive him to a mild insanity from which he suffered re-.. peated attacks all through his sad,. sorrowful life. He had to be placed in the keeping of a physician, under whose care he remained for nearly seventeen months, before he was. able again to face the world.

Giving up all hope of profession,il life he went to Huntington to live with the Unwins, where his life passed pleasantly enough, until the death of Mr. Unwin caused the widow to remove to Olney in Buckinghamshire, whither Cowper accompanied her. Here in 1773 he suffered another terrible attack of his constitutional malady.

In 1779 Cowper joined wlth the Rev. Mr. Newton, the curate of the parish, in publishing the "Olney Hymns,'' of which he wrote sixtyeight. It is a singular fact that Cowper was past fifty years of age before he began seriously to write poetry.

His first volume, containing "Table-Talk," ¡' Conversation," "Retirement," ¡ and other poems chiefly in heroic metres, was published in 1785, but attracted very

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COLLEGE

little attention. His second volume, however, which appeared in 1785 and included ''The Task' '' and the famous ballad of '路 John Gilpin," gained for the author a wide and lasting renown, far surpassing that of any of his colleagues. He next undertook the arduous task of translating the entire "Iliad" and "Odyssey" of Homer into blank verse.

The translation went on "with a smooth and easy flight," and in 1791 was completed and published. He undertook shortly afterwards a new edition of Milton, with translations of the Latin and I tali an poems; but the C()ndition of his mind prevented the completion of this work.

In 1794 a return of his malady enveloped his mind in darkness and cast him into despair; and the death, in 1796, of his faithful and devoted friend Mrs. Unwin added to his despondency. He gazed upon her life, less fo1:m, uttered one wild passioffate exclamation, silently left the chamber of death, and was never heard to mention her afterwards.

Not long before, through the intervention of Lord Spenser, a pension -of 300 pounds a year had been ob" tained for Cowper, but it came too late, for nothing could now afford him any pleasure. The clouds were hovering dark and heavy over the 路 . ,evening of his life. A slight recov.., . ery of his mental powers in 1799 . enabled him to revi_se his "Homer" and to write his last poem, '.'The 路Castaway," a picture of his own ,sad fate. The most intense gloom

MESSENGER.

and dejection hung over him to the last.

He was now stricken with dropsy, and after being reduced to the last stage of feebleness, he died peacefully, on the nnd of April 1800, at the age of sixty-nine.

In The "Castaway" he compares himself to a drowning sailor: "No voice divine the storm allayed, No light propitious shone, When far from all effectual aid, We perished-each aloneBut I beneath a rougher sea, And whelmed in blacker gulfs than he ."

Cowper's poems mark an era in English poetry. He was one of the first to break away from the despotism of Pope and his followers, who, with their artificial vocabulary, made poetry "a mere mechanical art" and to invent an original rythm.

Nature had been banished from poetry almost entirely, and it was left to the master hand of Cowper to bring it back. He successfully executed everything which he put his hand to, and his influence on the English language is extensive and lasting. He loved flowers, animals and rural life and paints seen, ery, especially in "The Task,路 with great and true power.

His longest original poem, as well as his greatest is ''The Task-" His best known work is the ballad of "John Gilpin," which was written at the suggestion of his friend Lady Austin. Observing him one evening in a fit of depression she related to him the story of John Gilpin with which he was so delighted that after retiring to rest he

REFORM

â&#x20AC;˘IN FEMALE

turne d it into verse, and repeated it nex t morning at the breakfast table.

Cowper wrote very little pro se, but what he d1.d write was of the highest order, and his letters, which have gained for him almost as mnch popu larity as his poetry, are unsurpasse d by any in the language.

Here his melancholy vanishes, playful humor, simplicity and wisdom perva de throughout, and his mind brea king away from the clouds

EDUCATION.

9

which envelop it has its moments of pure and perÂŁect sunshine.

William Cowper, amiable in dis, position, of a generous and kindly nature, beloved and admired by all who knew him, surely merits the enconium prono,mced upon him by a distinguished cotemporary: "He exhibits such a diversity of practical powers as has bt:en given very rarely indeed to any individual of the modern or of the ancient world ."

W. F. D.

Jr.

REFORMIN FEMALE EDUCATION. --0--

In a former article I tried to point out some defects in the present system of female education. Every one knows it is very easy to criticise.

But it is necessary to know where our mistakes are befor e there can be any h0pe of improvem ent. Then can we make progress. Progress in science and in education depends upon two things, the emplo;ment of better methods, and the removing of actual di~advantages. The latter, now, deserves notic e.

To a certain extent, the present system of female education unfits woma n for her position in life. The tendency of the "higher education of women" is to make men out of them. Female suffrage; female lawyers, politicians, legislators, judges, and doctors are some of the natur~ al results of this education.

It cannot be denied that the pursuit of philosophical and political studies tends to thrust women beyond her

sphere. Observation seems to show that when a woman's intellect is highly cultivated, according to the present educational methods, she loses, in some degree, her love for domestic affairs.

The course of instruction given by some of their higher institution leads t~em into the realm where man is king, and fans into a flame the desire, unfortunately, too often seen, to become men. Eager to show that the boasted superiority of men intellectually is a delusion, and leaving the sphere man kind has assigned her pushes to the front. She leaves the sacred precincts of her little palace, where she reigns as queen, and commissions the dusky daughters of Africa to rule till she returns. With all the dignity of a judge she pro, ceeds to the office of her husband whom she fincfs engaged in pre, paring for some legal contest. If the state .legislature 1s convi11ced

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RICHMOND

COLLEGE

that she has been endowed with special qualifications for the legal profession. she next appears at the har in defence of one of her sex, who claims 路 damages for grief caused by a breach of promise. She even presumes to address mixed audiences. Evidently, she has either forgotten that "the hand that rocks the cradle rules the world," or, that in days gone by she assigned the cradle with its precious (?)contents to one whose color was several shades darker than her own and whose mind was filled with superstition and meanness, and is now trying to counteract the evil caused by her almost unpardonable mistake. During all of these performances the noble and uncorrupted daughters of this fair land drop their: heads in shame. Well may they, when they see their sisters leaving the well beaten paths of their ancestors.

Jn the average school for girls there is a decided tendency toward superficiality.

It is a burning disgrace upon our 路Southern people that their daughters are prepared at these schools for society rather than for life's duties. They study a little French, they learn a few Latin roots, they make the acquaintance of some English and French au, thors 路and read, perhaps, a few standard novels.

They can say forever afterwards they have read them, and that is all they can say, their only reason for reading them being that others read them, and probably the only benefit or pleas-

MESSENGER. ure they derive is that obtained when they tell their friends what they have read.

They seldom study any subject that will be of any practical value to them.

Men study subjects that bear directly upon what they expect to follow.

Why should not women do so too?

If the girls were like butterflies, . whose existence is extremely limit, ed, such an education as they are getting might be sufficient.

But they were intended for. a higher and nobler purpose than to move around in the world as objects of beauty and admiration.

It is very rare that we meet girls who de, light to discuss solid, sensible sub, jects. Why . is it? Are they not capable of serious reflection?

I think s0. Was their Creator deceived when he looked upon the workmanship of his hands and said it was good? Certainly not. What is the matter with them, then? Undoubtedly their education has had a great deal to do with it.

It is not sufficient to say that the practical part of their 路education is received at home under the instruction of their mothers, for this is not always true. Rather than require their daughters to participate in the preparation of breakfast the mothers obtain servants who attend to such degrading work, and allow their daughters to come down stairs about IO o'clock, or some other fashion, able hour.

Frequent drafts are made upon the dry goods house and millinery store to furnish the rising

REFORM

IN FEMALE

generation with the latest style.

During the happy hours of that un, fortunate girl her silly and deluded mother thinks she will become, by some mysterious means unknown to men or angels, a woman whose influence for good will permeate .sociecy and cause men and women to become nobler and more useful to their generation.

• The statement has been made that matrimony is on the decline, because people (I take it that that word in, eludes more men than women) are becoming more · particular in their choice of partners for lif~. It is the opinion of the writer that there is plenty of room for the e·xercise of better judgment in these vital mat, ters. Why do men marry? For what purpose was woman created?

Holy Writ tells us that she was intended to assist man. But assist him in what direction?

In reducing his bank account, in depleting his purse, by giving tea parties, and by extravagant expenditure for useless trappings?

I suppose not.

What advantage . is . a woman like this to any man? Who is to blame for this arrangement?

Flowers, fine clothes, a pleasant smile, and padding properly adjusted are liable to deceive most any man. After he has asked the fatal question and re·ceived an affirmative answer he will find sometimes that he has been -deceived and what he has obtained IS simply an imitation of a woman.

-Of course she is no more to be blamed in this transaction than he.

EDUCATION.

II

The fault lies, however, in not having inculcated in her mind, either .at school or at home, that her position in life is to be determined by her real worth and not by what she can appear to be. No wonder, then, men are not anxious tu have their happiness destroyed by mat, rimonial bonds.

One of the best ways for a woman to please her husband is to keep his digestion in good order.

This cannot be done without a thorough knowledge of the culinary department.

In the estimati()n of some, this is degrading; but nothing is degrading; that contributes so materially -to the happiness of mankind. This knowledge is not only a source of pleasure but it is economy. Some who have been through the school of experience say they fully intend to teach those who have been intrusted to their care some valuable lessons in this neglected and unappreciated art. To be sure we would not be understood as meanjqg that the women should go to the kitchen three times a day and take part in these most interesting operations there, but they should know when dishes are served properly, and how to do it when necessa, ry. Surely everyone will agree to this.

And yet, how many ever see inside of a kitchen, especially if there is any money in the family? Still, no school that I have heard of south of Washington gives instruction in this important branch of knowledge.

But it is not the misfortune of all

12

RICHMOND COLLEGE

girls to live in the city.

Many reach their years of maturity under more favorable surroundings. They are taught not so much the ways to deceive men, but some of the practical affairs ot life, and when they have been wooed and won, in the opinion of some, they make the mo st valuable companions men can find. , Notwithstanding what I have

MESSENGER.

said about women, I yield to no one in my respect and admiration for beauty a~d worth wherever I find it. A noble woman has no equal among men. Beauty has its mission. When combined with tact, intelligence, a well trained intellect and thoroughly consecrated life, it is, perhaps, the most potent influence known to men.

0.

FEMALE LAWYERS. --o-In a recent issu e of the Messen, and musical as it falls upon our lis, ger there appeared an article by tening e~rs it strikes a ¡ respon sive "X. Y. Z." advocating woman's chord in our own hearts and fills admission to the bar. our souls with divinest melody.

Being firmly convin<;ed that such But that sweet voice was never an innovation would be serious ly intended to be used for the practice detrimental to the best interesti of of law. There is an innate princiour country and would introduce a ple in us which makes us opposed difficult and dangerous factor into to such an abuse. It seems almost the already intricate problem of our sacriligious to think of our mothers' social lite, we venture to say a voices wrangling in the courts of few things on the other side. justice over another's quarrels for X. Y. Z. argues that woman has a paltry feel All our filial devotion the right to practice law "because and all our ideas of right revolt at she has the ability to fill the position the very thought of such a thing. of lawyer both honorably and well."

We have too much love and reverIn the first place it seems to us very ence for that sweet-toned voice poor logic to argue that ''ability" that first taught us to lisp our infant gives her the "right," But we con, prayers at eventide; that voice that tend that she has not the ability. soothed all our childish sorrows and Her voice is not suited for public calmed our angry passions; that speaking. It has not the tone, the voice that has so faithfully incul, quality necessary for use on the ros- cated in our hearts the principles of trum, but rather that which 1s most truth and virtue and integrity. We powerful in private conversation. could never be reconciled to hearing And it is here that we are most that loved and rever~d voice ririgeasily influenced by it. Soft, low ing rorth in the excited and per'

FEMALE

LAWYERS.

haps passionate discussion of a ques. tion of law.

The voice of woman romes to us with resistless pathos as an appeal for personal help in the hour of need, but it is not because of her orato1jcal power. She was not born to be a public speaker and cannot become eminently successful as one.

Moreover, we contend. that woman is not mentally adapted to the practice of law.

We do not propose to raise the question as to whether the mind of woman is inferior to that of man.

We shall not undertake to deny that she is in many respects his intellectual equal. But woman's mental ability lies principally in one direction. She is fond of literature and music. In works of the imagination she delights to revel. "X. Y. Z." says, "Some of our most gifted novelists, our sweetest poets have been women." And this is just the point.

It is in such work that she excels.

But who ever heard of a woman writing a "Critique of Pure Rea, son" or a disquisition on "Diaieti c Evolution" or a ¡ 'Theory of Thought?"

Or what woman ever wrote a discussion of the Principles of Physics or a treatise on Differential and Integral Calculus? This kind of work is not in her line. She has no fondness for long, laborious thought. Her imagination and mem, ory often equal if they do not surpass those of her brothers, but when it comes to dealing with a problem . in which there is need of cold, hard

13

r~ason and painstaking, logical analysis man is by far her superior.

Then, furthermore, woman 1s inore emotional than man. She is by nature more compa ionate and tenderhearted.

It is characteristic of her that her actions are so often prompted by a feeling of pity. And for this reason she would be less capable of a strict adherence to the law. She would be too easily influenced by compas ion for the prisoner and would be inclined to release him even when he deserved punishment.

But this is not what we want in our courts of justice. It js true that "law is stern and unrelenting," but it is essential that the law should be enforced, regardless of personal feelings, and it is necessary that those who are intru ted with matters of such vital importance as are dealt with in our court-rooms should be influenced by justice and not by feeling, by right and not by emotion.

But "X. Y~ Z" says that in someStates women have been admitted to the bar, and "some of them have even attained national reputations in this walk of life." We should like to suggest that a more apt expre ¡ sion would be "national notoriety."

But admitting that there are a few women who are "successful lawyers," does that prove that wo~en in general are capable of becoming good lawyers? Because one man could write a "Paradise Lost," doe that argue that men in general could do so? The fact that here and there

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RICHMOND

COLLEGE

we find a freak of nature in the shape of a petticoated female harangueing, with some degree of sue-. cess, a legal assembly, is no argument to prove that woman is capable of becoming a successful lawyer.

In spite of such excep1ional cases it is still true that while woman is, in many respects, perhaps, the intellectual equal of man, yet her special talent lies in the line of poetry and fiction rather than philosophy and logic, and that she is not competent â&#x20AC;˘ successfully to deal with the problems which confront the lawyer.

And then again: The legal profession has aften to deal with the dark ,er side of life. The court of justice is a place proverbial for the .vileness of its associations and the impurity of ii:s moral atmospher:e.

It is so from the very nature of the case.

It is impossible that that place, where all the meanness and wickedness and debauchery and crime of the community are collected and discussed and ventilated, should be anything else than a cess-pool of corruption!

Could there be, then, anything more un-.. becoming and degrading than to bring the women of our land into direct and frequent contact with all this vice and immorality?

It has been argued that she would elevate the tone of legal proceedings.

On the contrary she would only lower herself.

Perhaps for a few weeks .there might be some improvement.

The virulent lawyer might be a little less profuse in the use of his

MESSENGER.

epithets; the language of the profane barrister might be a little less blasphemous . and impure, and we might think we were making a great upward stride; but how long would it last? Oh, there 1s a world of truth in that old maxim. "Familiarity breeds contempt;" and al-. though the lawyer might at first be restrained by a feeling of respect and, perhaps, reverence for her whom he had always held in such high esteem, this would not last.

He could not regard her in the sam e light as formerly.

By the very act of stepping down from her high position and meeting man on his own terri ,tory to struggle with him in the legal arena she would alter fundamentally the relations which they had formerly sustained toward each other. In a sl:iort time he would come to regard her very much as he did any other lawyer, arid as soon as this came to pass all her elevating influence would be gone.

No, she would not elevate the tone of legal proceedings by taking part in them, but, on the contrary, she would lose the secret of her magic power over the hearts of men and throw away her claims to their love and admiration.

She would volun-, tarily relinquish that womanly reserve and maidenly modesty which have so long been her distinguishing characteristics.

Who, then, could be so destitute of the spirit of true manhood, so wanting in loyalty and fidelity to the fair sex as to wish to bring upon

FEMALE

LA WYERS.

them such a sad misfortune?

Shall the crimes that blacken our social we take our mothers and our sisters and political life? Not afraid to away from the retirement of home throw aside her maidenly reserve and bring them out into public life? ¡ and her unassuming mode ty and Shall we parade before their eyes come forth among men to discuss all the meanness and turpitude and with man the wickedness of the villainy that we can find? Shall world? It may be something for we encourage them to think about some women to be proud of, but if these things?

Shall we bring them we should experience the misfor tune into constant contact with these and the humiliation of seeing our vitiating influences? Shall we stain mother or our sister, or any woman their purity with such a concoction who is dear to us, so far forget her of vice? In short, shall we fill their duty, so far disregard her own minds and their lives and their calling and so far depart from the hearts with a poison which shall the path of rectitude and propriet) as to array herself in the magi teriat destroy their peace and their purity? garb and enter the legal arena a_s Who would like to see his mother an aspirant for legal and political or his sister or his sweetheart standhonors, we would hide our head in ing before the ordinary court-room crowd and uncovering to them the shame and grief and bemoan the details of some black--hearted vil- luckless day that brought us such lainy? Perhaps someone would say intolerable woe.

And, furthermore, we maintain that it is not necessary for her to practice in the criminal court. But that no greater calamity could bewhat is true of those who have been fall our country than for our women admitted to the bar? Have they to become convinced that there aresta id away from the criminal court? better and more inviting fields of In a recent sketch of one of the labor than the home. With a remost eminent female lawyers in this cent writer on this subject we would country, the author mentions, as say: "The professional 'friends of something praiseworthy, the fact women' believe that when the day that " the criminal court does comes that every avenue of employnot frighten her."

What!

A ment shall be opened to that sex, woman not afraid of the crim- the millenium will have dawned. inal court?

Not afraid to fill But I am far from sharing this her mind with the crimes that stain optimism. It is never safe, in fact our legal records?

Not afraid to it is always disastrous, to fly in the face of nature.'' And in spite of all come into contact with the vileness that may be said about women in and meanness of the modern court of justice?

Not afraid to hear about politics and women in business, and and talk about and meditate upon women here and women there,

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RICHMOND

COLLEGE

MESSENGER.

engaging in all manner of occupaman or moman comes to believe tions, following- almost every kind that there are other and better po, of pursuit and supplanting man in _ sitions than those which nature herthis thing and in that, we are still self has ordained for them, then are confronted by the stubborn and in, . sown the seeds which will yield an controvertable fact that the place of abundant harvest of discord and waman is in the home . As the im- misery. That is the entering wedge mortal Gladstone has so well said: that will ultimately cause the de, "Any attempt to alter fundamenmolition and ruin of the whole tally the relations which the Al- superstructure of domestic happimighty himself has established, by ness. drawing woman out of her own And yet this is just what they are sphere into that of man, will never doing all over our land. In all the succeed."

This is but anotherway various pursuits of life, in all the of saying that here also nature's different spheres in which men laws are unrelenting, and that an move, in all the numerous occup a, inevitable penalty is inflicted upon tions in which they are engaged , him who dares to violate them. women ¡ are rapidly pushing themAnd this has been abundantly ver- selves to the front. There was ified within the last two decades. never a time in the history of our There was never a time in the pre- country when women took such an vious annals of Christian civilization active part in business affairs as when there was so much discontent they do at present. never befor e among married people as there is at ¡have their mines and hearts been so present.

No preceding period in completely filled with the cares of our history can show such an alarmsecular life, and never before ha ve ing number of divorce suits as are they had so little regard for their now being entered upon our , legal duty to their homes. Never ha ve records day by dc_ty. And what is they taken so litt1e pains to mak e the cause of all' this? Why is it the home life pleasant and purif ythat such a large number of modern ing and elevating. marriages turn out unhappily? The Have we any right, then, to be reason is obvious. It is an undeni- surprised at the result? Ought we able fact that when either the hus, not to expect it when we see how a band or the wife steps out of his or great many of the women of our her proper place and assumes a land utterly disregard their duty and false or unbecoming relation to the rush blindly forward in the mad family, that act will result in the struggle for supremacy and i)Ower? ov erthrow of the very foundation Is it not the logical sequence of that stone of matrimonial harmony and rashness and audacity with which domestic felicity.

When either they transcend the bounds that na-

FEMALE

LA WYERS.

ture has laid down and bid defiance exalted position than that of mother. to her inexorable decrees? And is It is mother that shapes the minds not this move which many are now and the hearts and the lives of the advocating but another step in the men who make our country greai t¡ same direction?

Is it not adding It is mother that instils into their another to the numerous causes of hearts the principles of truth and disunion which already exist in our virtue and integrity!

It is mother social life? And will it not natu- that teaches them to rise above the rally result in the production of failures and disappointments of life! untold matrimonial misery and do- It is mother that cheri hes their hopes and ambitions and thrills their mestic strife? beings with _an eternal purpose!

The irrational and enthusiastic Then let us perpetuate the pure advocates of "Woman's Rights" and woman supremacy raise a influence of home. Let us preserve great hue and cry about the "op- our women in their loveliness and pression of woman," and on bended their nobility. Let us protect them knees they supplicate the Deity of from the vitiating effects of the Let us shield them social and political life to hasten the court,reom. glad day of her complete "emanci- . from public life as we would "guard pation.

Emancipation from what? our choicest treasures form the Do they wish to take her away spoiler's touch."

Let men wrangle over petty quesfrom the horn~? Do they wish to tions of jurisprudence.

Let them damage, and, in a ¡large measure, abuse each other professionally for destroy her influence over the rising Let generations?

Do they wish to rel- the sake of personal gain. egate to the "limbo of obsolete them expose to the gaze of a pruri, ideas" that sacred love which she ent and sensation-loving public the has for home? Do they wish to de- meanness and vileness and hypoc, prive us of all those sweet and hal, risy of men. But woman's hand lowed associations which cluster and woman's voice and woman's around the name "mother?" . heart have a higher and a nobler There is no higher office, there mission. is no nobler calling, there is no more TREBREII.

r8

RICHMOND

COLLEGE

MESSENGER.

VICTORHUGO'SHERNAN!.

--0--

There have been men in every age · who seemed born to lead in reformation.

Such a man was Victor Hugo. Around him rallied those contemporaries who fought . the great battle for Romanticism in France.

To his followers he was the genius of hi's age. To his ad, versaries he was a mere savage, a monster, rudely violating his mother tongue and setting at defiance all sane traditions.

He was born at Besancon, in the extreme east of France, on February '26, 1802. His father, Joseph Leopold Sigisbert Hugo, was an officer in the French army, and was abo ut twenty-nine years old at the time of Victor's birth . Under what circ um stan ces he became a soldier is not clear, but it is probable that he was one of the numerous volunteers who, at the approach of the revolution, came forward to defend · the country.

Though he was a staunch republican yet he married Mme. Tribuchet, who was even as staunoh a royalist.

The marriage took place in 1796. A first-born son, Abel, came into the world at Paris on the 15th of November, 1798; a seco nd, Eugc>ne, was born at l"Iance on the 16th of Septem, ber, 1800, and Victor followed on the 26th of February, 1802.

Before entering into a discu&Sion of his life. perhaps it will be well to speak of his ancestry.

According to M. Barbou, Victor Hugo's enthu-

siastic biographer, the Hugo's were a noble family, "illustrious both in literature and in arms," and Madame Hugo half apologizes for not carrying their genealogy further back than 1532, saying that all earlier records had perished at the pillage of Nance in 1670. As a matter of fact they belonged to the upper artrnan class.

The poet's grandfather was a ca rp enter. But, "grant that the poet's origin was • more humble than has been hitherto supposed and that he sprang from a race of sturdy and energetic artisans-grant all this, and how can it affect him injuriously?

In default of ances tral honor may not a man life Victor Hugo claim the greatest honor of being himself an ancestor, and rooting, as it were, a mighty and eve rlasting name?"

The doctor declared that Victor could not live, but his mother was determined that he should live·.

When Victor was five years old his mother set out to join her husb and, who was then in Italy with Napoleon. They traveled across Fran ce and Italy in one of the slow diligencies of the day. This journe y made a great inpression on Victor 's mind. After sojourning there dur, ing the winter, his mother returned to France and Victor was now sent to a · day school kept by a certain Lariviere, a former priest, whom the reign of terror had frightened into marriage.

But in playtime and

VICTOR - HUGO'S

HERNAN!.

on Sundays he was accustomed to soon his verse was to receive pubplay in the garden around the house. lic recognition.

The French AcadThither, too, would come not un, emy had proposed as the subject fre quently, the little lady whom the for the prize on French poetry, to poet afterwards married.

Through be awarded in 1817, "The happithose troublous times Victor steadily ness that study can procure in every advanced in his studies.

When he situation of life. " Scarce] y a very was ten years old he could read fit theme upon which to poetise, but Ta citus, and for mathematics he nevertheless Victor applied himself appears to have shown great apti, to the task bravely.

With that tude. In the general annual com- readiness of pen which he always petition of all French scholars for possessed, it was comparati vely the University prizes of 1818, he easy for him to write on such a obtained the fifth place for physics. subject. With the aid of a friendly This was the last year of his school usher he succeeded in depositing the preciou s manuscript in the seclife.

But long before he completed his retary's office. Victor did not get college course he commenced his the priz e, but the Academy gave him honorable mention ninth in orlife's work. Already he had earned a reputation as a poet and shown der, which, though no higher than ninth, was a title to distinction for a his facilitv and aptitude as a writer.

Deliverance from lessons and lec- lad of fifteen. tures merely meant; in his .case, In 1819 Victor sent three ode s to greater freedom to pursue the avo- the competition of the "Foral cations which he was already pur- ¡Games" of T0ulouse.

For one of suing.

In order, therefore, to these odes he obtained honorable take up his literary life from its mention only , but th,.. other two commencement, it is necessary to were more successful, and won rego back a little. Verse, verse, and spectively a golden lily and a golden y et agam verse-such had been the amaranth.

Meanwhile he and his boy's delight almost from the time brother establish ed a newspaper. when he first went to school. The title was Tlte Conservative Lit" During the t~ree years which he eraire, and the object in starting it spent at the Pension Decatte," says was that the boys might thus be Madame Hugo, "he wrote verses of able to repay their mother the debt of gratitude which they owed her ¡every possible kind-odes, satires, for their education. The periodical epistles, poems, tragedies, elegies, idylls, imitations of Ossian, translalasted from December, 1819, to tion of Virgil, of Lucan, of AusanMarch, 1821, and forms three volias, of Martial, songs, fables, tales umes. Of these he is said to have and even a c_;omic opera."

And written at least two. If his style

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RICHMOND

COLLEGE

did not yet posse ss the individuality, the brilliant color and mu sic which it had acquired ten y ear s later, if, in a word , it wa s still a cla ssical and not a romantic sty le, yet it was a very good style of its kind. Victor Hugo proves very well th at he could have walked in the old paths of literature, and that it was not because these were closed to him that he boldly hewed out for himself paths new and untrod. Th at h e was firmly wedded to classicism we can .inf er from his own word s.

"We have never understood, " says he, "the distinction which people seek to establish between the classic style and the romantic style. The plays of Shakespeare and Schiller only differ from the plays of Carville and Racine in that they are more faulty. That is th e reason why, in the former, resource mu st be had to greater scenic pomp.

French tragedy despises such ac, cessories becaus e it goes straight to the heart, and the heart hates whatever disturbs its inter est."

About this time Victor sustained a great loss. His mother, who had been his greatest comfort, di ed on the 27th of June, 1821. This was a terriale blow to Victor, and he seems to have come very near committing suicide.

But about this time he fell in love with Mme. Adile, daught er of M. Foucher, an employee of the war office. After overcoming many obstacles thrown in his way by M. Foucher, they were at length married on the 12th

MESSENGER.

of October, 1822, In th e same ye ar he publi shed his "Od es et P oesies Diver see."

Thes e were followed by a sec ond volum e under the title of "N orveller Od es" in Mar ch, 1824- The preface shows how little, eve n ye t, the poet was pr epared to step forward as the lea der of th e romantic movement.

He declare s hi s ignoranc e of what the romantic sty le and the classic sty le may happ en to be ; deplores the division of contemporary litera~ tur e int o two hostile camps; is full of "respect" for the "great name of Borle au, " who, as he says, "sh ares with our Racine the great hon or of having fixed the French langu age, a fact which in itself would suffice to prove that he too _had a cre ative genius. ' ' The year 1825 marked the period at which Victor Hugo's geniu s, wnich had hitherto been fl.owing in ¡ a fairly smooth and even bed, suddenly takes the decisive leap in its rush towards romanticism.

So far he had not given in his adheren ce to the new school.

He seemed unaccountably to be hesitsting, temporizing, hanging back.

Hen ceforward there will be no doubt as to his position. In the poems written during this year, especially the ballads, there is a marked advance.

In the preface to the third volume of odes published in October of the following year, 1826, there is an entirely different tone. In 1827 he was rallying to that standard the flower of the intellectual youth of

VICTOR

HUGO'S

France and boldly standing forth as their acknow ledged leader.

In October, r827, he published his "Preface de Cromwell." "lt :shone in our eyes like the tables of the La,Y on Mount Sinai," says Th~ophi le Gautier; '' its arguments seemed to us irrefutable."

It was among minds just ripening for this â&#x20AC;˘ tate of ecstacy that the celebrated "Preface" came like a summons to arms and conquest.

Nor did the trumpet now give an uncertain :sound. There was no halting, no further hesitation, no doubt as to what the difference between the classic and romantic schools might '.happen to be.

On the 29th of August our author began Hemani, and on the rst of October read it to the committee of Theatre Francais.

To begin with, the performers were hostile.

Mdlle. Mare, the great tragic actress, on whom had naturally deYolved the chief part of Dona Sol, was a ,rnman of fifty, and had little sympathy, as may be supposed, with noYelties.

Meanwhile the press was not idle. $craps and detached passages of the play leaked out, and were ridiculed. One scene was burlesqued on the stage. The censorship also made its reserves, contested the admissibility of certain passages, insisted upon changes in Yarious lines, had to be reasoned Finally the with, b1.1llied, cajoled. claq1u, the paid applauders, who m a French theatre direct the popular enthusiasm , turned mutinous. They

HERNAN!.

2I

might ev~n desert 111 the hour of battle and go over to the enemy.

Victor, however, rallied the students of the "Quartier Latin," the younger journalists and the artists to his support. They were admitted to the Theatre Francais on the memorable 25th of February, r 30.

"Hernani" was then first presented to the public at 2 P. M., while the public were not admitted until seven.

At last, however, the performance began, and began coldly. But a ¡ it proceeded, the admirable vigour of the verse and, one may add, the stage effectiveness of the situ~tions, begav. to produce their due effect.

At the second act, when Hemani and Don Carlos, rivals in their love for Dona Sol, exchange words of hate and defiance, the clapping of the author's follower found an echo in a few boxes. Thi temporary success was, however, jeopardised by the scene in which Don Ruy Gomez tob lengthily catalogue: his pictured ancestry on the wall, though, in the end, hi¡ refu al to violate his ideal of ho pitality at Don Carlos' bidding "brought down the house." trangely enough Charles V.' long monologue before the tomb of Charlemagne first really clinched success and made victory certain. Poetry went for somt:thing in those day and each line, as it flashed upon the audience, woke in them a growing enthu ia m. Befor the applause died down, an un, kno,rn publ, her acco kd the au, thor and offered six thou and franc:

22

RICHMOND

COLLEGE

for the right to publish the play, saying that at the end of the second act he had intended to propose two thousand francs, at the end of the third four, and that he should greatly prefer to close the bargain there and then, as at the end of the performance he might be tempted to give ten thousand.

Victor Hugo, whose whole possessions happened at that m'.:iment to consist of fifty francs, laughingly concluded the bargain.

The fifth act was a triumph. Mdlle.

Mars acted it superbly. In her love duet with Hemani her voice rendered admirably the music of the verse · and thrilled with its emotions.

When Ruy Gomez, having first sounded his fatal horn, came to claim Hernani's life, she sprang up with an energy which was new even to her admirers-like a tiger in defence of her whelps.

We too have seen the frail shape dilate in fierce defiance and then sink down in passionate appeal for mercy; we have noted how, amid the gathering darkness of death, love still flickered in look and speech. And thus it will scarcely seem strange that the first perform, ance of "Hemani" came .to a successful close. But the great battle had still to be fought. And fiercely did it rage in the second performance.

Verse after verse, as the play went on, was assailed with Homeric laughter, but Victor Hugo's friends replied with volley after volley of applause.

And so again the toilsome evening wore through.

MESSENGER.

For fortrfive nights did the actors and Victor Hugo's volunteers stand in the breach and carry performance: after periormance to the end, and it was not till the 28th of June, 1830, when Mdlle. Mars required a holi, day, that the piece was withdrawn.

Thus was fought and won the great battle, or, rather, campaign of '•Hemani."

Romantic drama had I made good its position on the Fr ench stage.

••Hemani" was followed by a. number of plays of less import ance.

The last one, "Lee Burgrav es," was played on the 8th of March , 1843, but failed to secure such success as to tempt Victor Hug o t() write any more for the stage.

On the 13th of February, 1831, appeared "Notre Dame de Pari s."

Hugo had already shows himself a magnificent artist in verse. He now shows himself a magnificent artist in prose. With the year 1831 and the publication of "Notre Dam e de Paris," we have reached, as it were, a tableland in the career of Victor Hugo. He has achieved the most honorable-we may even say the most splendid-distinction.

In 1841 he was elected a member of the French Academy, and in April, 1845, he was made a peer. Up to this time Victor Hugo seems to have been a royalist, but he was soon to change his views. After the revolution of 1845 he became . a Republican and was elected to the National Assembly to represent Paris. He . was a bitter opponent to

THE PLEASURES Louis Napoleon, and was exiled from France on December 14th, 185r. He arrived in Brussels op December 14. On the very day of his arrival he commenced the "Histoire d'un Crime" but he did not publish it till twenty-five years later.

Following this came "Napoleon Petit," the pu blic.i.tion of which caused such a storm of indignation that he was compelled to quit Brussels. He now took up his abode at Jersey.

In 1854 he was driven from Jer-. sey on account of his criticism of Queen Victoria's visit to Louis Napoleon. He now turned his entire attention to literature, and in rapid succession came "Les Contempla, tions," a book of poems, in March, 1856; "Legende des Siecles" in 1859; "Les Miserables" in 1862; "William Shakespeare" in 1864; "Les Travailleurs de la Aber" and "Lhomme qui rit."

In August, 1878, Madame Hugo died. After the overthrow of Napoleon in 1871, Victor return ~d to France and was received with great demonstrations of joy.

He was at

\

OF HOPE.

23

once elected to the National Assembly, but resigned soon after.

From that time until his death, although he was elected to the Senate in 1876, he took no more intere tin politics, but devoted his entire time to literature. He published a number of works, all of which show that he retained his litei;,ary excellence to the last. He died on Ma y 22, 1885, the idol of his nation. He was probably the greatest poet of the century-certainly the greatest man in French literature.

With him for a leader the battle of romanticism was fought and won.

Sain1sbury, in summing up the lit-.. erature of the nineteenth century, says: "Such is a brief review of the most remarkable poetical period of French history, saving only the sixteenth century-a period remarkable not merely because of the great amount of talent which ha s illustrated it, but beca,1se its whole work is dominated, and a great part of it directly inspired, by the commanding presence of one man, Victor Hugo. "

A. P. F.

THE PLEASURESOF HOPE .

--o-A logical and scientific treatm en t In discussing a subject so vast in its scope, so grand and far-reaching of the subject will not be attempted, in its drift, the immatured mind feels ~nd might not be appreciated as that restraint and timidity rightly much as if it is presented in its sim¡characteristic of its youth, in making ple beauty. broad statements. which as yet, it Hope is in a sense, antithetic to canno t grasp, only to be seen vague- memory, and as such, will be conly and indistinctly in the far distance. sidered.

RICHMOND

COLLEGE

When life is but a budding flow er, the rugge d p athw ay all untried, untr avelle d, the spint gladsome and active, the he art yet tender andpur e, ray s of Hope beam from the brig ht futur e an d illumin e that circle des" cribed abo ut every human being . .

Youth, so careless and impulsi,¡ e, who se su rrounding s, joy and plea, sure, unalloyed by the world 's hard han d 1 whose quickening step and unfurrowed brow, bespeak healt h and gentle virtue, what is thy stay; whe re is thy life? Is it all gone and orily the crisp cinders and ashes rem aining ?

Surely the bloom has not fallen from a ste m so young. Surely bo y -, ho od with all its buo ya nc y and bravery , act ivity and po,ver, with all its tenderness and manl y affection, dot es n ot on the past.

Ambition, budding as it does, in earl y you th, claims Hope, as its origin, as its nourisher, as its strength.

T hi s is the power, be.fore which and under which, strong men trem, ble and mig hty nations crumble to the ,<lust. Beneath its powerful sway rec.olle ctl ons of the pa st vanish as a ..:wakin_g dream.

Did you ever think why youth is , the h appies t peri od in human life?

Cert ain ly not that responsibiliti es are lighter, nay, , rather they ar e graV eT. Befo re man has reached his maj. ,oTity , the success and happiness of ,his life have been determined. His ,c hara cter , and; I might almost add, ,.t_he _d~stiny of his immortal soul,

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have been decided.

But "Gay Hopes" are his "rod" and his" scaff" to comfort him.

Thine, 0 Hope, is the charm of life's bewildered way, That calls each slumbering power into play.

We pass on from noble youth to nobler manhood. There, too, its genial rays lighten our burden s and brighten our pathways, produ ctive alike of freedom and responsibilit y, joy and grief.

If there be a God, there mu st be a people, if a king, then subjects, if joy, the rejoicer, sorrow, the mourner, if there be crime, there must be the criminal, if life, then .death, but thou, Oh Hope. art ever with man, the Giver of his joy, boon of his life in prosperity and hap piness, yet in the deepest anguish of his soul, thou art still his stay.

There is no happiness Hope cannot promise, no difficulty it cannot surmount, no grief it cannott mitigat e.

We know that all good thin gs must be united for man to be happ y, and, in this completion of happin ess, we admit that memory plays no mean part. The memory of duty wellperformed, a spotless character, a blameless life, is such as any one could wish to entertain. Yet can the memory even of a life of purity and Yirtue, imperfect as it must be, be compared to the hope, resting on that '¡Impregnable ,Rock", of an eternal life of beauty beyond the s tars?

We know that the memory of

THE

PLEASURES

some dear companion and friend, who has faded as a "spring flower," is held sacred and priceless; but what is all that to the hope of that Reunion when we, too, shall have been transplanted in that Other Garden.

In the best of memory, there is sorrow and regret, mingled with pleasure. In hope, pleasure unalloyed, on whose bright pictures, the past reflects but a clearer, softer ray.

Go, search in the darker walks of life, where happiness is a stranger, and life itseif, but a burden which only the bravest and most resolute ca n bear. Look with pitying glances on the friendless captain as in de, spa ir and dejection, he tosses upon his rock-pillowed couch. How that little window, so far above his head seems to shrink into a tiny spot, as if ashamed to admit the bright noonday beams upon a scene so-awful.

See that once bright, boyish countenrnce upon which are now found forever stamped vice and . intemperance. suffering of body too great to find utterance in the human tongue, agony of mind beyond the power of words to paint. The dark Past with all its bitter memories pours but the oil of vitriol upon his rankling wounds. He would fain drink deep of the waters of Lethe, and cast memory, with all the misery it briegs, forever into the dark waves of Oblivion.

"But when ¡ all forsook the friendless, guilty mind, Hope, The Charmer, lingered still behind.''

OF HOPE.

So, too, in that wistful upturned face, there, as the rays beam more brightly, rests no look of utter despair. Those hollow eyes drink in another light than the Sunbeams, Hope is whispering sweet prospects of freedom.

As night follows day, so old age follows manhood.

It is a very mistaken idea that the aged dwell wholly, or nearly so, on the past. That the re collections of other days afford their mo t cherished pleasures is indeed a sad mis-. take. When the number of years has been counted, then is life at iis nearest beginning.

No <loubt the aged, virtuous man often thmks of his childhood 's home with unfeigned pleasure. "Its smiling valleys and fel'tile plains, verdant meadows and hady woods", circle in his mind as vividly as when beheld by his boyish eyes. But as. he looks back, and then with th eye of Hope he gets a glimpse of that far brighter shore, weary with the tossings of misfortune and adversit;, the old place at home with all its sweet fading scenes, makes him yearn for that new Place at Home, "where sorrow never lives nor friendship ever "dies". Tired of life. weary of its hardships, aged, forlorn and poor, he breathss in tender accents.

"The wearied bird,blown oe'r the deep, Would sooner quit the shore; Than I wonld cross again the Gulf That time ha;; brought me o'er."

C.M.G.

RICHMOND

COLLEGE

MESSENGER.

---o--__With this issue of the MESSENGER new editors assume charge of iheir respective departments. Good men, and men loya lly cognizant of their editor ial duties have, from tim e to time, through successive ap pointments, edited the MESSENGER, sendi ng it forth to figure _creditably in th e field of college journalism . But inno vation is a thing of the present, and ch ange constantly attendant up on all organizations.

So our valia nt predecessors breathe a sigh of rel ief as they reflect upon lab ors already performed.

Th ey greet th e y outhful debutants who, with i~pu lsive tread and determined mien, ascend the stage of action to ~ui¡vey their fie1d of lab or . They vac ate th e easy chair and, with a i:nagnanimi ty born of experience, give up the significant ermin e .

Thu s they place upon the new incumbents the responsibilities inci-. dent to the high trust. They make their exit from busy scenes wherein glean ers may labor long and ardentl y to garner sheaves of thought and to collect gems of expression.

We re spect the trust, appreciate in part the dignity of o~r position, and promi se such effort as shall tend to the growth and popularity of the ME sSENGER.

Our Critics.

No man, living or dead, who has left waymarks on the highway of

true greatness, has failed to awaken criticism. Indeed criticism is the crowning rer.ognition of man y a meritorious effort and praiseworth y achieve ment. Truly it is an evidence that its recipient is makin g a stir, and arous ing his contempor a, ries from lethargic slumb er to con~ template some new departure from time-worn cus tom . And so it is, critica l eyes survey most hum an proceedings to ascertain their intent and to test their va lidit y.

We find th at critici sm often does not detra ct from real worth but heralds tru e merit. Thu s, in general, we acknowledge the supervi sion of the critical eye. In particular we would notice the critics who submit literary productions to close scru, tiny . Among the scholarly this class 1s large. Everyone whr, would write for coming time must remember that "to-morrow the critics will have something to say."

Sta y, dread one, thy unfavorable verdict !

Literary work which cann ot stand close criticism is doomed, and will never go down to posterit y â&#x20AC;˘ On the other hand there is a per, manent product of thought which all the missles of criticism molest not. This has its place in the regard and estimation of thos~ who live in the present, and . its future is no less certain . Review the illus, trious pages on which genius has inscribed lasting characters, and re-

EDITORIAL. member that every name in that bright galaxy has withstood the or-deal of criticism.

Criticism often exists in appearance rather than in ability, for the readiness and power to discover exâ&#x20AC;˘Cellencies and point out inaccuracies are comparatively rare. We s hould ever be cognizant of our liability to be criticised, and ac, -c ordingl y exercise prudence to lessen its severity.

Let us aband on the prevalent notion that our cnt1c 1s our enemy.

In truth, if he is the right kind of a critic, he is o ur friend, and if an adept in his work. he is likely to render us incalculable service.

Our critics may be considered in two classes.

One as harsh and s cathing, quick in the detection and exposure of defects, and slow in the recognition of merit.

This class is not likely to inspire much dormant ability, for it is too sparing in that which quickens confidence and too lavish in that which chills .ardor and destroys energy.

Sar<:asm, which is neither a virtue nor an adornment, is poorly calculated to soothe the regret which failure causes, while satirical cuts may forever abash a gifted tongue or pen. The utility of this class of critics may exist in the divine power of economy, but in the stern affairs of life and labor their criticisms more often wound than soothe and instruct. One naturally -shrinks from the influence of such .a contact, and cries out in the des,

peration and anguish of his being, Oh! for a more generous flow of fellow-feeling between critic and ' criticised!

Another class of critics 1s composed of those who compliment rather than criticise. They usually accord more merit than the author deserves, and to that extent pervert and debase the real aim of criticism.

Such a critic may please the few but fail to meet the demand of th e many. His judgment is questionable, his decisions partial, and hi s flattery sickening.

Men ha\ ¡e acute perceptions and ,,¡ill view with distrust the verdicts of such critics.

Then there are critics who temper their criticism with considerateness, and do not hurl upon their subjects the crushing weight of ridicule. They make men better and give them greater aspirations.

They show men wherein failings lurk, and where . excellencies abound.

They broaden capacity and elevate popular views. Their mission is a noble one, their work one of service, and their opinions are valued.

Representatives from both these classes are in our midst.

Prepare to ignore or respect their criticism.

Sympathy is the fellow,feeling for which all men pine, and with which eve11 adversity loses much of its severity.

All recognize an abiding need of its soothing influence, and all are pensioners upon its consoling power .

RICHMO

D COLLEGE

What, then, must be the feeling of one who, alone and gloomy, with the cares and vexations of life, has never the gracious boon of an encouraging word or sympathetic look from his associates? The bare contemplation of such a one beggars description.

And yet there are people all around us whose sorest need is often sympathy.

Let it be the aim of every one to maintain suc h personal demeanor as shall win rather than repel those who have a claim ~1pon our sympathies.

By so doing it is possible to mitigate many human woes and to set an exa mple of philanthrophy worthy of emulation.

Our Opportunities as students afford a theme of inexhaustive interest, one which gains new momentum with the flight of time. The custom of admonishing fellow-students and urging them to timely observance of the Roman maxim, "Take time by the forelock," seems, according to accep, table precedent, a weighty privilege of the writer of these columns.

And. though example has hack-. neyed the custom, the advisability of the course is yet manifest.

The period of student life is too truly the vantage ground, which if lost lessens the possibility of_attainment in after life. Few students in our colleges grasp all of the opportunities which the fostering care of their in, stitution accords.

Few men attain the truest dignity which the favored

MESSE1 GER.

positio)l of student life invites. The college which we love and honor affords no exception to the general rule. Our students put a light estimate upon some things which in after life will be needed.

Jn justice to ourselves and our teacher s, we owe unceasing care to our studies and no other course will ultim ately make us victorious; but our honored institutions .afford literary advantages which if unimproved will some day disclose a glaring deficien cy in him who rejects them. Little exrellency is obtained fortuitou sly â&#x20AC;˘ and he who would possess skill in anything must labor for its acquisi, tion. No stude nt who habitu ally neglects the opportunities of his literary society need expect in after life to sustain his views upon the rostrum where various opinions will be encountered.

It is the voice and man! y deportment which command s the most attention in college literar y circles, that gives greatest promise of swaying a se mblies in the futur e.

Tongue and pen, the subtle instruments for rendering thought tangible and impressive, must be exercised, or he who fails to use them will in the exigencies of future occasions, prove a weakling without ex, cuse.

Men of talent, men of aspirations and men of possibilities, grasp the opportunities of your alma rriater, that you may prove worthy her fostering care, and move in the .con, stellation of her brightest luminaries!

EDITORIAL.

UniversityExtensio n.

That University Extension can be made a success in the South has ceased to be a matter of conjecture.

We have heard that a few of the trustees of this institution have en, tertained some doubt as to the pos, sibility of its successful introduction into our college, and were therefore little disposed to encourage this new departure.

There were some others, however, who believed that its value merited a trial, and heartily endorsed its introduction.

No person was better qualified to lead the movement in this direction than the youngest man in the faculty, Professor F. W. Boatwright.

He, having travelled extensively in the .

North and in Europe, and having visited colleges in which this method of teaching had been adopted, was, perhaps, more thoronghly acquainted with the method and the benefits to be derived than anyone else in the institution.

Seeing that the time was rapidly approaching when it would be introduced into the South, he thought that there could be no better time than now and no better place than Richmond College, and he therefore proposed to take the lead in this great undertaking.

That he has made it a success does not remain to be stated. The attestations of all who heard those eight lectures on German literature to the fact that they have been a source of real profit to every one are sufficient to remove all fears,

even of the most pessimistic. They have served not only to aid in lifting the school of modern languages from the position of secondary importance to the rank of the most valuable schools in the institution, but they have also brought the institution itself into greater prominence.

The introduction into Richmond College of this method of teaching can scarcely be consideted an innovation but rather au enlargement and extension of methods hereto-. fore adopted. It has been the custom for several years for some one or more of the professors to give a course of public lectures at some time during the session. Th ese lectures, however, were but slight ly different from the regular lectures . delivered to the classes in the lecture room. But those of Professor Boatwright were an exten sion of his regular class exerci se and formed a new phase of work.

We understand that several people from the city, who were not in attendance upon the institution, stood examinations upon the work required by this course and received certificates of reward for their work. Is this not one step nearer to the adoption of co-education in the college? It has at least been a means of bringing the public more in touch and sympathy with us and has given them a better acquaintance with the work of our college.

This is not all the good they have done, but they have made the stu-

.30

RICHMOND

COLLEGE

,dents of German far more thor-0ughly acquainted with the German people and with their literature than they could otherwise have been.

It would seem, that the short time allotted in Richmond _College to the study of modern languages requires

--o-Who don't know "Old Pilch ?"

Now for Field Day and Base Ball exploits!

Mr. H. - (In literary society) Gentlemen, the government coins .ill the silver raised in the country.

Mr. H. says his girl wants an "equestrian," with a gold fish.

Quoth the raven, "Nevermore!"

Question in Determinants:

Mr.

B. of the Int. Math. Class wrote asomptymes for asymptotes. How many displacements did this word suffer?

Prof. of Math:-What is a parallelogram?

Mr. _H. :-A quadruped with/our sides.

Physics Class-subject: Sound.

Prof: How do you sharpen a note?

Mr. C. :-Put it to a grindstone.

In the Phil. Class, after some particularly good advice had been given by the professor, Mr. J. ofthe Lone

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that such a course of study be regularly adopted.

At least we, the ,tu dents of '93 in the school of ¡ modern languages, consider ourselves fortunate to have heard this course of lectures, and have had our fondness for German literature very much stimulated.

Star State asked if it was not intem ded for the ministerial portion of the class. The Prof. replied, "Well, I reckon folks from Texas need it about as much as anybody".

Mr. N.,who on account of enforced application to his studies during the last few months, was overlooked by the fair creatures of the 'Stute when the invitations were issued for a recent musicale, informs us that, now examinations are past, he is again "in society", having received numerous invitations out of late, as in his younger days. He has even found time to attend the Campus Magazine Club, a privilege it is accorded very few of the students to enjoy.

By the way, this reminds us that the weekly gatherings of the mem, bers of the Magazine Club sre sea~ sons of rare intellectual and social enjoyment.

We do not believe that this much needed and .successfully conducted organization has heretofore received mention in our columns. True, its

LOCALS. membership is not strictly confined t o the faculty and students, but we <:an vouch for the assertion that there is not a single person who has the :honor to count himself ( or herself) .a member of the Magazine Club, whose best wishes are not for the :success of the college and all its institutions. This point needs no further comment than the statement that the Club numbers among its members such alumni of the college .as Harwood, Rucker, J. S. Harrison Chas. Winston, F. W. Duke, and ,others, whose college spirit, devel, oped when they were students, does not seem to nave deserted them yet.

And then, who are better friends to to the college and the students than the young 1adies whose names are enrolled as , members of the Club?

Richmond College is indeed for:tunate in that the students have such .a refining influence in such close proximity to their cheerless bach, elor's apartments.

It has been -our pleasure to attend only two or three of the meetings of the club, but even this small insight into the workings of the organization has -impressed us with its great value .and importance.

Besides discussin!,! the contents of the leading magazines, essays are frequently pre, pared by the members, descriptive of the lives and works of various noted authors.

And then very of, ten a few minutes can be given up to unalloyed social pleasure, of which the irrepressible game of "Jen kins up" forms n0 small part.

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We wish "Dr." James and his club continued success.

Speaking of "Jenkins up" reminds us that the campus was recently favored with a visit from a young lady of a distant city in this State, who came for the express purpose of playing the far-famed game above referred to, but when she found that she was requirsd to put her hands under the table, refused to comply with this require¡ment so long as her partner in the next seat was a stranger of the sterner sex.

Aphorisms of the ChemistryClass.

The following proverbs have been found very useful to the ris ... ing generation of chemists, and we give them to the public as being, to some extent, applicable to everyday life. Tl:iey are only a few of the good things enjoyed by the members of Professor Puryear 's class: I. A little more than enough is much too much.

2. Things equal to each other are equal to each other, 3. Lie et par va componere cum magnis.

4. Death is a philosophical ne, cessity. Each one of us has a debt to pay to nature, which is fully discharged at death.

5. When a taper goes urnitrogen it goes out.

6. Electricity is not a thing. But how can a thing be a thing that is not a thing?

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A MusicalPuzzle.

Write the chromatic scale of the treble staff. Go up on the lines, commencing at F, and come down on the lines, commencing at D .

"Harden" the - G and consider B "accidental."

The result is the name of a member of the musical club. Who is it?

MESSE

GER .

Mr. Opp threw the contest open.

The first contestant was Mr. C. W. Duke. of ansemond county, Va., representing the two liter, ary societies of Richmond Col, lege. Mr. Duke chose as his subject, "Men cf Thought."

He dis, cussed his theme m chaste and elegant language, and his oration gave evidence of depth of thought and IntercollegiateOratoricalContest. originality.

He said, "Action is The annual oratorical contest of the driving-wheel of the machinery of life, but thought is the steam that the Monumental Intercollegiate The Southern Association, organized in furnishes the motive power."

October, 1891, in Charleston, S. close of Mr. Duke's oration was C., took place in the chapel of greeted with prolonged and enthusiastic applause from the audience.

Richmond College on Thursday night, March 2. The object of The next speaker, Mr. A. Lyle this association is to raise funds Irwine, of Central University of with which to erect a monument to Kentucky, was next introduced. the soldiers of the Southern Con- He chose as his subject, "The Federation of the World-Our Opfederacy.

The exercises of the evening portunity."

Mr. Irwine stated the were commenced by an address of ruling principles of each of the modern nations, and selected the welcome by Professor Boatwright, distinctive principle of the Anglowho presided over the meeting.

After expressing his regret that so Saxon race, "personal liberty," as many of the contestants had been the one that is designed to work out unavoidably'kept away, which was the destiny of the world, in its powprobably owing to the postponement er to redress the wrongs of the peoof the meeting, Professor Boat- ple of all nations.

Mr. Irwine's wright heartily welcomed the visit- speech throughout was full of ors, in the name of the Old Domin- thought and eloquence, and he took ion, and in behalf of the city of his seat amid loud and long-con, Richmond and the faculty and stu- tinued applause. dents of the college.

He then inThe judges of the contest, Mr. J. troduced Mr. , Frederick Opp, of Alston Cabell and the Rev. Drs. J. Llano, Texas, president of the as- Y. Fair and W . W . Landrum, desociation. After stating , the object cided to award the medal to Mr. of the organization and giving some Irwine. Dr. Landrum, in deliveringaccount of the Charleston meeting; the decision of the judges, took

'

LOCALS.

occasion to compliment Mr. Duke's speech very highly.

Although he failed to carry off the medal, his many friends went away satisfied that his effort was a highly creditable one, and ¡fu1ly sustained his own reputation and that of the college.

UniversityExtensionLecture.

The eighth of the University Extension series, the last of Professor Boatwright's admirable course, was delivered in the college chapel on March 7th. Subject: "Heinrich Heine and the Modern Era," The lecturer began with a very interesting sketch of Heine's early career and domestic life. He then followed the famous German poet and satirist all through his eventful life, until his death in Paris in 1856. The audience was favored with criticisms of Heine's various writings, from many of which the professor read interesting selections.

In conclusion Professor Boatwright stated his judgment of Heine's character that he lacked moral balance; he was great as a wit and a desc,iptive writer, but greater as a lyric poet.

Thus dosed a mbst interesting and instructive course of popular lectures. . In taking leave of his audience, Professor Boatwright, after extending to all his heartfelt thanks for their assistance and uniform courtesy, announced that he would be !ollowed by other mem, bers of the faculty, who will deliver ic , lures on subjects which are

33

taught in their respective schools, The dates of the lectures yet to come will be duly announced.

The Richmond College Musical Club has re-organised. The members are; F. W. Duke (leader ), W. M. Addison, and C. M, C oc,ke, mandolins; and A. Blair, }.;. S, Bowe, and W. D. Duke, guita rs.

The club has greatly improYed since last season, and the mus i-: rendered on the occasion of the Mu Sigma Rho public debate was pronounced the best of its kind ever heard here. The club has promise of even greater success than it achieved last session.

Athletics.

It is unfortunate for the cause of athletics at the college that pub, lished matter appears in print such a long time after it is written, and so this department must be satisfied if it only serves as a permanent rec ... ord for items along this line, and not as itoughtto be, a "bureau of information" for the benefit of the lovers of college sport.

It has been decided to hold our annual Field Day on April 28th ..

This will give our athletes ample time in which to prepare for the contests of that day, and we hope to see some "record breaking." We have some especially good sprint ers and long distance runners and jumpers, and we feel sure that Prof.

Hazen will show us something astc'mishing in the gymnasium work. The lawn tennis contest promises to be

34

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COLLEGE

a6 close and exciting ·as usual, and altogether we expect to feel proud of our excellence in the line of athletics, when the eventful day arrives.

The base ball team, at the time of this writing, is in training, and prom-. ises to excel last year's nine m many respects. As yet no match game has been played,butin the next Messenger we hope to be able to chronicle many victories and not so many defeats. The members of the team are as follos: F. W. Duke, Acree, Burnett, Samuels, W. D. Duke, Tupper, Redwood, Turner ·, P. Winston, Robin s and Garnet[, W. D. Duke has been elected Captain and H.L. Norfleet manager.

MuSigmaRhoPub-ic Debate.

On the 17th. of March the college chapel was opened to the public by the Mu Sigma Rho Lit erary Society, at which time they presented some of their rarest and most cultivated talent. Although the weather was ve_ry inclement, many fri~nds ot the society came out to greet the young speakers, and the occasion was altogether one of the most enjoyable evere xperienced in the history of the society .

The exercises of the evening were opened by prayer by Mr. A. J. Chewning. Then Mr. R. W. Hatcher, president of the society, delivered a very appropriate and cordial address of welcome and intr ,>duced as reader of the dvening Mr. H. C. Burnett, who read in his own inirni, table style "Fa:·mer and Wh ·.:el; or

MESSENGER.

The New Lochinvavn. Then the Richmond College Musical Club played the"Mandolin Band Much.'

Next Mr. Minitree Folkes was introduced' who declaimt?d in a very fascinating manner"Stars and Stripes',

by Senator Hill of Georgia.

Then followed "Mountain Queen" by the Musical Club.

Thepresident next announced the following question open for debate: · "Resolved, That the present st,•tus of American politics is oppo:-ed to the best interest of the republir."

Mr.W. D. -Duke. fi st affirmative, opened the cliscuf:sion by clear! y stating the question and pointing out the manner in which the dehat~ was to be conducted He made a hasty review of the history of 011r country, and showed ho "· t\1c Government had reach ed its present state.

He cl aim eel that a model Gov-ernment must be based upon a model constitution, which should be executed in an exemplary manner.

Then he spoke in words of praise of our constitution, but criticised some of the amendments.

He point"d out some of the existing evils arising from negro suffrage, and the means to which our citizens are compelled to resort in order to keep off negro supremacy.

Next he ref erred to class legislation, showing how some were growing richer and richer while others were gnwing poorer and poorer under the present status. _ Then he spoke of the injusti ce of the P:esent pension and tariff bills . He brought

LOCALS. out forcibly the unparalleled enormities of evils coming from such a large number of pensions gr:mted at this time.

Next he dwelt at length upon the evils springing from the â&#x20AC;˘ present "spoils" system.

The first negative, Mr. E. M. Long, said it was the tendency of the people to-day to put the blame of everything upon the adminis ... tration. 1f the crops were bad, the weather too hot or too cold, too wet : or too dry, the administration had to bear the fault. He spoke of the imp ortance of the question under discussion, and the present condition. He admittP.d that there were many evils in the present status, but proceeded to argue that notwithstanding these evils the status of politics to-day is for the best. He said that one national party had been weighed in the balance of popular opinion and has been found wanting.

He then spoke of the pledges of reform made by the par ... ty in power, and claimed that these pledges fulfilled would er;:idicate many of the now existing evils referred to by the first affirmative.

The Musical Club rendered "Floral waltz .. ' Mr. James H. Franklin, second affirmative, began by speaking of our love for our Government and the unpopular side of the question advanced by the affirmative . He spoke of politics as a profession in which politicians strive to elevate thPir individual interest, and con:,,, __L r the best interests of the masses

35

aR of secondary importance.

He spok~ of the present status being so impure that men morally and intellectually qualified stood back and would take no part in the Government. He s:1iJ that it wa s the object of our Government for th ,: m,1jority to rule, but methods ,. ,..¡e resorted to which thwarted this u bject.

Mr. C. A. Boyce, second neg :1tive, closed the debate with a carefully prepared speech, in which he claimed that the constitution was the basis from which he argued the question. By a careful analysis of the constitution he attempted to prove that the present status wa.:i for the best.

He spoke of the present high state of prospt':'rity of our country under the status of to-day. Just and equitable as our laws are to-day, they will be changed when change is required.

After the rendering of the "High School Cadet March" the exceedingly interesting exercises came to a close.

ThomasLrctu;es.

The Thomas lectures announced to beg:n here March 28th, have been postponed on account of the illness of the lecturer, Professor Tyrrell.

They began April 3rd.

He is to deliver four lectures on Latin poetry. At Johns Hopkins, where these lectures were delivered last month, they attracted .large audiences and much favorable comment.

Richmond College is

RICHMOND

COLLEGE

to be congratulated on securing the services of this eminent scholar.

Dr. John _A. Broadus paid us a visit on the 20th of March.

He gave the students a talk containing much good, practical advice.

G. andH. Notes.

During the month an interesting paper was presented by Mr. J. E. Johnson on ¡"The Fall of New Or, leans," and a well prepared one on "The Battles of Fair Oaks and Seven Pines," by Mr. H. T. Allison, giving a graphic account of that conflict.

The society now has a special bulletin in a conspicuous place.

Excursions will be in order as soon as March winds have ceased to blow and verdant spring sup, plants the forbidding weather.

Those who went on the Williamsburg trip will know what to expect

MESSENGER.

on these. With the professors and young ladies in the company as before, nothing but a pleasant time could be expected.

Y. 11. C. A. The college Young Men's Christian Associations in this State held their first Presidential Confer, ence at the University of Virginia, March 23rd to 26th, 1893. 'fhe object of this meeting was to devote seven or eight hours per day to the study of the question as to how the Presidents of each Y. M. C. A. should carry on their work to the best advantage and increase their interest amd broaden their ideas in this line.

The pride of R. C. V. will not allow her to fall behind in any beneficial enterpri~e, therefore our Y. M. C. A. was ably represented by R. W, Hatcher, its efficient treasurer,

--a-Sparks W. Melton,('92) gav;:>us a glimpse of his genial face a few weeks ago. Sparks was then enrout~ to Crozer, having beencalled home on account of his parent's sickness, We regret to note that the following boys have left us since Christmas ;F. W. Wood, is at Bristol, in the banking business: W. C. Blair, has returned to his home, and is making plenty of money: W . L.

Britt, has accepted a call at Phoebus, Va. We can't any longer enjoy "Now watch Brill quill," W. E. Hurt,(90) bett~r known as "Coony ,'' has been with us a few days. Forsooth he will repeat . the same old experiment , "Think I had better quit the Sem, and enter active service," seems to have a special fascination for tho::-e of our fellows who took a heavy calico ticket while

EXCHANGES. at College. He has accepted a call to Buena Vista.

37

Hopkins, has received a call from the First Church in Norfolk, We congratulate the First church on her choice.

F. W. Wood, ('91), now at Bristol, in the ¡ banking business, gave us a flying visit during the inaugu- .

E. M. Whitlock, ('93) we are ration. He had the privilege of see, sorry to learn, is now in the city ing Grover "put in," if he could'nt under medical treatment, We all help to do it. hope that he will soon be out again The sad intelligence of the death and able to resm.ne his work, "Whit" was a great favorite among of our beioved schoolmate, John the boys ¡ while at college, and no Reynolds, ('92), reached us a few days ago. He had been the victim doubt his congeniality will help to make his success, of that fatal disease comsumption.

John gained a large circle of friends A. J. Harlow ('93) has spent a during his shurt course at college few days with us, renewing his old and his death will doubtless be heard acquaintances.

Of course one of of with much sorrow. those acquaintances belongs to the H. F. Williams, (B. A.'91) has other sex. been granted leave of absence from his church, 4th street, for three or four months. He has throat affection and the doctor advised him to seek rest. He will go to his home in Fairfax and during his absence J. D. Hart wi"ll supply for him.

Hatcher 1 M. A,, now his course at Johns

Rev. H. M. Wharton, D. D., preached at the college on Saturday night, during his revival meeting at Grace Street.

His text, "one thing thou lack est," was handled in his own admirable way. Those prese11t enjoyed the meeting and hope to have the privilege of hearing him agam.

--o-The Review of the Cincinnati University contains quite an interesting and instructive account of an "Intellectual Dude."

The author speaks of the common, every-day dude (none in Richmond College) as one whose aim in life is '' correct form, whose idea of corrt>ct form is

concerned chiefly with clothes and the social function."

He goes on to say the societhy dude is by no means a fool. To ascertain and embody in cloth "correct form" re, quires quick discernment, attention to details, ready adaptability, persistence and omnipresan ce, and

Eldridge prolonging

RICHMOND

COLLEGE

often a complete immolation of self to the "good form."

The society dude, by his "correct form," can cover himself with a garment of sweet exclusion, and look down from an Alpine height upon all those matters which require some know ledge, as history, art, literature, ethics, religion, politics or business.

Submit to a society dude, either male or female, a question touching any historical or po, litical subject, and you will see at a glance what a fool you have found.

Our modern education, catching the spirit of the times, has produced the "Intellectual Dude."

This kind of a dude is, in some respects, certainly an advance upon his elder brother, the society dude.

Both have one aim in life-' 'correct form.'' The intellectual dude seeks to do with his mind what the society dude does with his body-dress it in "correct form."

The Tlze Elm College Montlzly we find among our exchanges this month, and we are very much struck with the goodly number of well written articles therein contained.

Among them are: "ls war a benefit to human progress?" "Conflicts of life," "Suffrage should not be allowed the negro," "A Dream," and' 'The young man of to-day." All of the above subjects are interesting to students, even to "A Dream," but the one with which we are especially struck is "The young m,m of to-day."

And but the more do

MESSENGER.

we desire to place it among our exchanges because it is written by one of that sex who think so much of the young man of to-day, and there ~re actually some young men who are actually loved by these earthly beings.

After pouncing upon the young man of to-day and handling him without gloves, the writer goes on to say: "Nine out of every ten young men perform their duties in a mechanical manner, glad when the clock points to the hour which tells of the close of another day. The period of life through which they are passing, has no meaning for them. They are forgetful of the important fact that they are entering the gates of life, that they .ire passing through a season of their existence that should be full of plans and actions, and that so much of the world's good depends on them.

Instead of interesting themselves in matters t_hat conc:ern them and their future, their minds run out after sportive matters such as base ball and foot ball. An intelligent interest in all games of exercise is necessary, but when games and sports come first and busines~ and practical things second, they are carried too .far. It is far easier for many of the young men to remember the names of every member of the leading base ball nines than to recollect the names of the customers with whom their firm has dealings daily. Why, the young men of some of the col-

EXCHANGES. leges have become so interested in the sports, that instead of going out and taking a little recreation, they go from town to town, state to state to meet other teams, leaving their books behind, forgotten and forsaken.

How can they afford to do this? But perhaps it is like some one has said, they have learned 'that they can't edticate the head, so they wiil educate the feet.'"

It closes with the following lii:ies: "The young man of to,day is not what he should be. His inclination is too much toward pleasure and not labor.

There is a tendency to look too lightly upon practical things of life, and to pay too much .attention to things that are interesting in themselves, but serve as poor foundation stones upon which to build a successful career."

Tne MESSENGER congratulates the author on this well written article, and would be pleased to hear fr~m her on "The young lady of to-day."

A COLLEGE BOY. In the Freshman class he entered, Looking green, as oft they do, But he all his powers centered On the thought of getting through.

Here he studies late and early, In his classes led them all; In the gym. he was the leader, Best debater in the hall.

Then through Sophomore to Junior, Took all the prizes as they came; Graduated with the Seniors, Well upon the road to fame.

Ten years passed-where is our hero?

Sure he was for Congress born.

Is he there? No, he's in Texas With a blind mule ploughing corn.-Ex.

39

From the Hesperian: "-," said the model young man of the Uni~ versity, as he came from one of our recitation rooms in which the pupils who live at some distance from the University are wont to regale themselves with food during the noon hour. "Show me the dix-neufed idiot who allowed three large glob, ules of viscous jam and one slab of plastic butter to remain behind him when he had finished his dinner and left the room.

This room has crumbs all over the floor, and jelly and grease all over the seats.

Would that I were a member of the f acuity.

I would take immediate steps towards offering an elective on the art of eating. Then perhaps my seven dollar trousers would not now be wrecks.

My belonging to the local Y. M. C. A. precludes the possibility of expressing myself more cogently in this public place.

Please allow me to retire, friends.

All I ask is a swearing room for fifteen minutes and that you will not remember the echoes you will presently hear.

Teh Exchage editor does not have the pleasure of visiting the boys at the Cottage as often as he would like.

But when over there a short time since he witnessed a scene and he cannot refrain from dipping the following lines from the Detroit Free Press. The scene referred to was a sad one. A certain young man had just finished his examination and on account of studying hard he

RICHMOND

COLLEGE

was unable to call on his girl on one only Friday eve. For this she con, f e:red on him the degree of "G. _B ".

Now poor unfortunate in the name of the Messenger, the third verse of the following poem is affectionately dedicated to you, as you are an inveterate smoker.

TO A CIGAR:

Thou I'm When To

smoked out, half-inch stump, loath to part with thee; others rail'd, thou ne'er hast£ ailed cheer and comfort me.

And when the paper's censure came, With maledictions free, It is enough- I got a puff \Vhen'er I called on thee. \Vhen often life seemed hard to bear, And care and sorrow reigned supreme, The smoke from thee would bid them flee, And bring some brighter, fairer dreamSo, old cigar, to you these Jines My friendship prove indeed, And as you're out I'll turn about And light another weed.

COLLEGENEWS. Pucks advice to College students is to go to bed early and avoid the rush-Ex. Hurrah for Puck -Judge what say you?

Leland Stanford University is the only one in America giving free tuition in all its branches -Ex. Three fourths of the colleges founded in the last twenty (20) years are south of the Mason and Dixon line. ·Ex. Lehigh University proposes to build a laboratory that shall have no equal in the College world. The cost is to be over $200,000.-Ex.

MESSENGER.

"Professor" said a graduate, trying to be pathetic at parting, "I am indebted to you for all I know" "Pray do not mention such a trifle" was the very flattering reply.

Of the entire House of Representatives 102 are college graduates.

The first prizes for the best entrance examination to the great Chicago University a short time ago was taken by a young colored woman.

The news we learn from the Chicago University certainly catches our eyes, but we are sorry to learn that the students of so great an insti, tution of learning, have begun to call their Professors, '· Mr." The Messenger thinks this is a bad move .It may be that there is not much in a title, but we think all Professors should be called "Pro, fessor. "Mr". does not occur to us as proper and right.

.

At Princeton no student will be allowed to bring a watch into the rooms at examination.

Prof.-Mr. W . Can you give me a sentence in which "but" is a conjunction?

Mr. W.-"See the goat but the boy" But is a conjunction and con, nects the boy with the goat-ExThe question to be debated in the joint contest between Harvard and Yale has been selected.

It is: R esolved, That the time has now come when the policy of protection in the United States should be abolished.-Rx.

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